{
  "id": 2484572,
  "title": "Alex Volkanovski Shares Future Retirement Plans Ahead of UFC 333 Fight",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/alex-volkanovski-shares-future-retirement-plans-ahead-of-ufc-333-fight",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-22T02:39:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mma/alex-volkanovski-shares-future-retirement-plans-ahead-of-ufc-333-fight-12354236"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "UFC Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski announced his retirement plans ahead of his upcoming fight at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi. The Australian fighter will be 38 years old during the bout, facing challenger Movsar Evloev, who boasts an impressive 20-0 record with 10 wins in the UFC. Despite the odds favoring Volkanovski, Evloev is considered a formidable opponent for the champion.\n\nSpeaking to Australia's 10 News, Volkanovski revealed his intentions to continue fighting as long as nothing goes terribly wrong in his next match against Evloev. He stated, \"If things go terribly wrong, alright we're done. If things go very well, like the last one no damage, alright we'll keep it rolling.\" Volkanovski emphasized the importance of being honest about his situation and not making any premature retirement plans.\n\nThe definition of \"terribly wrong\" for Volkanovski remains unclear, but it could include any significant damage, major injury, or defeat against Evloev, considering the latter has never finished a fight in the UFC. Volkanovski has demonstrated remarkable durability throughout his career, which spans over a decade in the UFC. His only prior losses came at the hands of Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, both widely regarded as the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the organization. However, Evloev presents a unique challenge for the future UFC Hall of Famer, making this a potentially pivotal test for Volkanovski's legacy.",
  "summary": "UFC Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski shared that he will not retire after his next fight unless it goes very poorly.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}